168 ❯ STEP 4. Review the Knowledge You Need to Score High
- Primary purpose of the cartoon: Ridicule those who believe that all is lost if eminent
domain remains in effect. - How details illustrate the primary purpose: Size and form of print indicates the chick-
en’s state of mind. The sigh of the calmly chewing cow indicates its recognition of the
chicken’s silly warning. The chicken’s last warning that says the cow is a threatening
monster is just wrong and over the top. - Indication of alternative viewpoints: Yes, both sides are indicated.
As pointed out previously, each of these steps is important in understanding a political
cartoon, but it is not necessary that you write out each of them every time you come across
one in the newspaper, and so forth. Most of the analysis is done quickly in your mind, but
when you are practicing techniques and strategies, it is most beneficial to write out, just as
our writer did, each of the previous eight steps.
Practice critically reading political cartoons that you find in newspapers and news
magazines. You might even try a few included in your history textbook.
Strategy 2: Selecting Sources
Once you’ve carefully read the prompt, critically read each of the given texts, and decided
on your claim, you must choose which of the sources you will use in your essay. This choice
is dependent on your answers to the following:- What is your purpose?
- Is the text background information or pertinent information?
- Does the source give new information or information that other sources cover?
- Is this information that will add depth to the essay?
- Does this text reflect the viewpoints of any of the other texts?
- Does this text contradict the viewpoints of any of the other texts?
- Does the source support or oppose your claim?
Our writer has to make some important decisions about the seven texts provided in the
Master synthesis essay prompt. As the writer answers each of the previous questions, he or
she will decide which texts to use in the essay.
My purpose: to qualify the support and opposition to eminent domain
Background information: Constitution (Source A) Kelo decision (Source C)
Pertinent information: 60 Minutes (Source B), Broder (Source E), Survey (Source G)
A helpful technique to answer the next several questions is to construct a quick chart
that incorporates all of the sources at once. The following is a sample of such a chart.
SOURCE TYPE OF INFOADDS
DEPTHREFLECTS VIEWS OF
OTHER TEXTSSUPPORT
OF CLAIM
A Primary and covered by Sources C and E Ye s No Yes and no
B Covered by Sources C–G Ye s Ye s Ye s
C Covered by Sources A, D, E Ye s Yes, Sources D, G Yes and no
D Covered by Sources A, C Not really Yes, Sources A, C Yes and no
E Covered by Sources B, F, G Ye s Yes, Sources B, F, G Yes and no
F Covered by Sources B, E, G Not really Yes, Sources B, E, G Yes and no
G Covered by Sources B–F Ye s Yes, Sources B–F Ye s